Buffalo Bills Fans are not going to like this.
Back in January of 2020, the Buffalo Bills looked as if they were close to defeating the Houston Texans, but a 15-yard penalty given to offensive lineman Chad Ford for an illegal blindside block would knock the team out of field goal range.
The Texans went on to kick the game-winning field goal in overtime and advanced to the AFC Divisional round with a 22-19 victory.
Here’s that moment:
Fast forward to over a year later and the NFL has seemingly admitted their screwup of the Bills in that game.
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Ford’s block is actually used as an example of a clean play.
“Back towards his own end line, and again just makes really more of a nudge block,” NFL Senior VP of Officiating Training and Development Walt Anderson said in the video as Ford’s block is shown. “Not the type of forcible contact threshold that has to be met for a blindside block rule.”
“The player is blocking toward his own end line, but the very subjective question would be does he make forcible contact with the shoulder?” NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay, a former NFL referee, tweeted during the 2020 playoff game. “Based on what I’ve seen called and not called this year I would have to say it is not.”
FOX Sports’ rules analyst Mike Pereira agreed with McAulay.
“I think the call is incorrect,” Pereira wrote on Twitter. “He doesn’t lead with his shoulder or head. He pushes him. It is a bad rule.”
